


#64: “It’s two sugars, right?”

by Snowblaze



Series: 100 Ways to Say "I Love You" [3]
Category: House M.D., The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: AKA: Limlendez did not do the sex, Also hi I have returned from the dead momentarily, Answer: she is falling for him, But not the sleepy cycle, Claire knows Neil’s coffee order and is confused by how she knows it, Coffee, Ergo no relationship, F/M, FINALLY I BROKE THE CYCLE OF SLEEPY CLAIRE, I ALSO BROKE THE CYCLE OF NEIL SAYING THE THING, Slight Canon Divergence, but the canon of this odd timeline doesn’t work for it, i love them, no beta we die like men, sleepy neil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-08 03:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19862932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowblaze/pseuds/Snowblaze
Summary: Claire, somehow, knows Neil’s coffee order.





	#64: “It’s two sugars, right?”

Claire hated hospital coffee. Unfortunately, the fruity tea she loved was not available during her night shifts; the beloved cafeteria worker who made it worked a 9-to-5 and went home on time every day. But Claire was accustomed to the bitter caffeine boost or else she never would have survived the first two years of her residency.

After loading her coffee with several packets of stevia and creamer, Claire paused before grabbing a second cup and trying to remember what kind of coffee her attending drank.

“It was two sugars, right? No creamer because he hates the hospital creamer and nothing extra because it's too extra…” she thought aloud as she skimmed over the shelf of coffee additives.

“Wait, why do I know this?” Her thinking turned into confused criticism as she grabbed the sugars. Ripping the two packets open, she continued to ponder over her question.

“Two sugars? Making coffee for Neil?” Audrey stated as she walked into the breakroom.

Breaking Claire from her thoughts, she nodded. “He got in early.”

“I heard. Nice save, by the way.”

“I'll be sure to tell him.”

Neil had rushed into the hospital at 3 AM after their patient suffered a myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism simultaneously. Emergency surgery was performed and the patient survived, but her attending lost the crucial sleep he needed before his current shift.

Audrey smiled at the younger doctor before slipping back out of the room with nothing in hand.

Rather than questioning the suspicious and random visit from the trauma surgeon, Claire put lids on the disposable coffee cups and started on the short walk to Neil's office.

Upon her arrival to his office, Neil was reading over their patient’s previous medical history and jotting down notes on a pocket-sized notepad. He did not notice her come in.

“It’s two sugars, right?” Claire smiled as she set the coffee down in front of his file, Neil glancing at it before looking up at her. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds too long; Neil snapping out of the trance shortly after that realization.

“Thanks,” he responded simply, hastily grasping the coffee and taking a sip. Refocusing his attentions, he looked back down at the patient file. “So you think our patient has Munchausen’s?”

“Several exploratory surgeries which have found nothing yet she keeps coming back with severe, unexplained stomach pain. I say we have a psych consult before we operate on her," Claire responded.

“And if her stomach pain is an actual, physical problem?”

“That 11 doctors haven't diagnosed?”

“I'm just saying.”

“You know, I have a friend in New Jersey who is really good at finding out things like this. We can forward the file to her and her team, see if they can find it out.”

“Or we can have Shaun look it over.”

“Or we can do that.”

They discussed their patient for a few minutes longer before Audrey paged Claire for some help in the emergency department. The surgical resident grabbed her items and headed for the door.

“Hey Claire?”

She stopped mid-stride, which left her hanging halfway out of the doorway, and turned around.

“Thank you for the coffee.”

Claire smiled. “You're welcome.”

She left the room, her smile stuck on her face for a good few hours; until her patient vomited on her.

Her spirits, though, stayed high throughout the rest of her shift.

**Author's Note:**

> So I belted this out in a few hours so... Yeah.  
> Also, hi, I'm back and I'm bringing House fics with me... eventually.


End file.
